The Pre-CES Tablet Hype is in Full Swing

Actually the pre-CES Tablet hype has been swinging for some time now, but it is beginning to pick up steam. Last year at CES it was all about Tablets and Slates as everybody and their brother promised that they would be bringing a touch screen Tablet to market. It was so crazy that the press jumped all over it and that’s where “The Year of the Tablet.” Well, as we know that changed quickly after Apple’s iPad announcement and everyone retreated and retrenched aiming for 2011.

Well, CES 2011 is just around the corner and of course we’re expecting to see a slew of Tablet/Slate options there as well. Keep in mind that what you see at CES doesn’t always make it to market and often it is the latter half of the year before what does actually surfaces. Brad Linder links to a NetbookNews post saying that MSI is once again promising a “new generation” of Tablets at CES 2011. As Brad points out the quotes around new generation point back to the fact that MSI was there with Tablets in 2010, but none of them made it to market.

There isn’t much to go on, but we’re seeing the usual smorgasbord approach from MSI, meaning both Windows and Android based Tablets. I’m sure we’ll see that quite a bit at CES 2011 from quite a few corners. Also keep in mind that MSI was a big netbook player but has moved away from that platform, so I’m guessing that means it is placing its bets on Tablets and Slates.